While many forms of encryption/decryption algorithms (cipher systems) exist today, a weak link of all systems is the secure management of the encryption/decryption key. There are basically two types of cipher systems: those based on a single symmetric key, and those based on two distinct public/private keys. A symmetric key algorithm uses a single key to both encrypt and decrypt the data. These algorithms are usually fast and their security lies entirely in maintaining secrecy of the symmetric key. Two problems with these systems are the transportation of the key from the sender to the intended recipient, and the secure storage of the symmetric key. A public/private key system uses a two key method. The public key is used for encryption and can be distributed over open channels. Because the public key can be sent over open channels, the inconvenience and security risk associated with key transportation is minimized. However, the private key is still used to decrypt the information, and thus must be kept secret.
In the age of electronic transactions, PIN's have become the dominant method by which these encryption keys are secured. The encryption keys are then only as secure as the length of the PIN, as the PIN recalls or decrypts the encryption key. The length of a PIN which can easily be remembered is limited; thus the security of the system is also limited. PIN's are now, of course, prevalent in many other areas of life, such as banking, access control, and as an identification means for social programs. As the number of PIN's that one needs to remember/store escalates, the potential for a security breach arises. This invention overcomes the need to carry, store, or remember private keys for encryption/decryption, or PIN's for any other application by deriving a digital key from a biometric, during a live verification process.